Pneumatic valve for self-playing musical instruments.



PATENTBD Nov. 12, 1907.

3- G. PEGK. PNEUMATIC VALVE FOR SELF'PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIOA'HOI FILED APR. ".1901.

I I In?! to 'AIIIINUNI, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

BENJAMIN o. PECK, or NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 ROTH & ENGELHARDT, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A FIRM.

PNEUMATIC VALVE FOR SELF-PLAYING- MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1907.

Application filed A ril 26. 1907. Serial No. 370,485.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN 0. Pack, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, Manhattan, county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Valves for Self-Playing Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a modified construction of the secondary valve described and claimed in an application for a patent for stop mechanism for self playing musical instruments, filed by me on the 23rd day of April, 1907, under Serial No. 369,769, and to which reference is hereby made. This secondary valve is interposed between the tracker-bar and the power-controlling switch oi a piano or similar self-playing musical instrument, and has for its object to open said switch when two adjoining sound openings of the tracker-bar are simultaneously uncovered, while on the other hand, it but one of said openings is uncovered, the switch remains closed, all as more fully described in the patent application above referred to.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved valve; 2 a longitudinal section on line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a similar section at right angles to Fig. 2, showing the bellows collapsed, and Fig. 4 a cross section on line 44, Fig. 3.

The fixed board 10 of the bellows 1] is provided with a pair of suction ducts 12, 13, into which enter, respectively, suction tubes 14, 15, leading indirectly to the tracker-bar. Ducts 12, 13 open into opposite sides of a common intermediate chamber 16 which communicates with the interior of bellows 1]. through channel 17. Within chamber 16 is free to move laterally, a plunger or slide-valve 18, shown to consist of a pair of disks formed on opposite ends of a common stem and felted or packed as at 19. Valve 18 is arranged intermediate the inner ends of ducts 12, 13, and is somewhat shorter than the width of chamber 16, so that it is free to move in a lateral direction, against either one of said ducts, thereby opening the other duct. When the air is exhausted from, say tube 14 alone, valve 18 will be sucked against the inner end of duct 12 to prevent a vacuum from being formed in chamber 16, and consequently in bellows 11. In like manner, when the air is exhausted from tube 15 alone, valve 18, by closing duct 13, (Fig. 2), will again prevent the formation of such vacuum. ll, however, suction takes pla e simultaneously in both tubes 14, 15, valve 18 will remain centered, (Fig. 4), and suction will be produced in chamber 16 to collapse bellows 11.

To fixed board 10 is hinged a spring-influenced valve 20, which, when open, uncovers the mouth of an angular air inlet 21, such inlet communicating by tube 22 indirectly with the switch-opening mechanism. When bellows 11 are expanded, spring 23 of valve 20 will cause the latter to close inlet 21. When, however, bellows 11 are collapsed, valve 20 is opened by means of a pair of abutments 24, 25, so that in this way air is admitted into opening 21 and the switch-controlling mechanism is thus operated.

1. In a device of the character described, a bellows having a pair of suction ducts, an intermediate chamber, and a laterally movable plunger within said chamber adapted to close either one of said ducts, substantially as specified.

2. In a device of the character described, a bellows having a pair of suction ducts, and an intermediate chamber, combined with a plunger laterally movable within said chamber and composed of a stem and a pair of packed disks at the ends of said stem, substantially as specified.

3. In a device of the character described, a bellows having a fixed board, a pair of suction ducts within the some, and a chamber that communicates with said ducts and with the interior of the bellows, combined with a laterally movable plunger within said chamber adapted to be sucked against either one of said ducts, substantially as specified. Y

4. In a device of the character described, a bellows having a pair of suction ducts, an intermediate chamber that communicates with said ducts and with the interior of the bellows, a laterally movable plunger within said chamber, an air inlet, a valve controlling the same, and a pair of abutments for opening said valve upon the collapse of the bellows, substantially as specified.

Signed by me at New York city, (Manhattan,) N. Y., this 25th day of April, 1907.

BENJAMIN C. PECK. Witnesses:

WILLIAM ScnULz, FRANK v. BRIESEN. 

